


Building Walls

by notravenclaw



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Animagus, Bonding, Death Eaters, Family, Family Feels, First War with Voldemort, M/M, Marauders, Marauders' Era, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-02 20:33:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13325979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notravenclaw/pseuds/notravenclaw
Summary: Euphemia Potter was shocked."I-I, er," The boy who looked like a carbon copy of her son said carefully looking at the girl beside him. She gave him a pointed look and he just sighed, still looking like a nervous wreck. "I'm Harry."Well, it was good to know that he at least had the same vocabulary as James.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I have an awful habit of never finishing what I started especially if it's written in English as I am not even a professional writer nor a native English speaker.
> 
> If you see some mistakes (no matter grammar or any other kind) please tell me and I'll fix it.
> 
> Also, a big thanks to all of you lovelies for reading this and I hope you like it! <3

A MONTH AND A HALF HAD PASSED and Harry still felt like it was yesterday that the battle had finished. Maybe it was partly his fault as he would stay up late day after day remembering - thinking about - painfully looking into his memories from the months that passed. Maybe it was those nightmares that seem to follow him like a shadow and he just couldn't get rid of them. Or maybe it was a mixture of everything - his fears, his memories, the regret and the constant trips to the cemetary as there was another funeral he had to attend no matter how much he didn't want to.

Harry swallowed a lump in his throat hoping it never comes back. 

The sun was burning his skin. It was the end of July and it was abnormally hot. It didn't help that he had to wear his heavy, black, _funeral_ robes that seem to smell more and more of death everytime he would go to attend the burying of someone he knew three feet under the ground. Three feet was deep, wasn't it? And, wasn't there people that celebrated this? Harry frowned feeling his stomach do a three sixty. Sometimes he almost wished he got onto the train back then.

Maybe he wouldn't have to deal with this then.

A hand, a familiar one, carefully grabbed his elbow and he could feel the heat of another body slowly leaning into his. He could see the curly hair from a corner of his eye and he relaxed his previously tensed muscles. If it wasn't for his body reactions, he didn't know if he'd feel anything - he almost felt empty. 

Wouldn't it be funny if a Dementor aproached him and he didn't even react? Would it? He couldn't decide. It was a bit sad, Harry thought. 

A drop of sweat rolled down his temple and he was so close to pushing Hermione away if he didn't remember how that ended the last time. 

_-you, fucking bastard!_

So, he stood, sweated and kept quiet even if all he wanted was to do was cry.

*

The Elder Wand was something that Harry couldn't call anything less than breath-taking. It had a special design, it was well kept and it constantly reminded him of the hands that used to hold it. Or, more specifically, the person that did.

Even though his memories were as light as a lightbulb and seemed to never leave him, the Wand was something that always made him feel incredibly warm. He couldn't quite decide if it was a feeling he previously had known, but he knew it had something to do with the magic that would flicker in the air around it. It was almost invisible but his eyes shouldn't be the one to tell it anyways. His core would sense the magic swirling around it no more than a lightweight carefully pressing onto him.

Harry didn't know why he kept it. The plan was to break it, throw it and never look at it again. He had already fixed his old wand and he was completely satisfied with it - it wasn't like he needed another one. But there was something about it that made him keep it and there was no way that it was its power. Harry Potter didn't give a shit about power. 

Maybe it was the memories but why did he always feel the need to bury them along with the people he lost?

"I thought I told you to leave that wand alone." 

Harry flinched, obviously not expecting any interruption as Hermione walked into the living room of Grimmauld's Place taking off her coat. Her skin was shining from the sweat and she used a quick cleaning charm that made her cringe a bit. Annoyance passed through Harry as he tightened his grip on the wand.

"And I thought you weren't following me." 

"Does it counts for following if I come to your home obviously to visit you as I am your best friend and I know where you live?" Her smile was painfully fake as the exhaustion on her face was clearly visible. The bags underneath her eyes were definitely larger than he remembered them and her hair was more of a mess than it usually was. But the thing that was the most noticable was her standing - she looked ready to attack if needed, hand only a few inches from her wand and Harry suddenly felt pressured.

An annoying voice in his mind that creepily remimnded him of Dumbledore told him that she wasn't there to attack him and he felt dumb. Of course she wasn't, why would she? A slap was reasonable, a punch was even more, but an attack? Hermione Granger was no saint, but she wasn't a witch (how the puns seemed to roll everytime he was visibly down, wasn't really comforting).

He sighed looking at her face that demanded an answer.

It wouldn't be weird if he didn't know the reasoning behind it and it wasn't that simple.ot never really was. So, he told her that and watched her face transform. A flicker of hurt, a strike of concern and a full out face of anger showed up leaving him feel a bit guilty. Or a lot. He couldn't decipher.

"You know, Harry," Hermione started with a deep frown in between her eyes. She was pissed. Really pissed. Suddenly, as if he were some sort of an emotion sucking machine, Harry was too. "I know what's bothering you, I know what happened, I _was_ there, but pushing all your friends away because of something you couldn't control is getting seriously ridiculous!"

Within a second, Harry was on his feet.

"You honestly think it's ridiculous?" Harry asked, his voice on the edge of dangerous as the anger flared up his body. Hermione just raised her eyebrow at his behaviour.

" _Yes_ , as a matter of fact, I actually do." She crossed her arms across her chest and he felt even more annoyed.

"So, you think all of this is bullshit?"

Hermione's eyes widened at his language.

"I don't-" But Harry didn't let her finish.

"You think I want this? You think I want to act- _feel_ \- this way? You think I'm happy wearing something that stinks so much of dead bodies, sadness and grief every fucking time I leave the house?" 

Hermione's face scrunches and he almost stopped but he just couldn't.

"No, but-"

"There is no buts, Hermione! I don't feel like myself, I don't know what to do and I don't know if I want to do anything at all! If you don't want to help, _please_ don't nag because I can't fucking take it anymore!"

A flash of hurt passed across her face as her anger dissolved and Harry could feel the guilt rising once again. It wasn't like he wanted to yell at her, but he just couldn't keep his mouth shut and it seemed like he could never do anything good as her expression slowly cracked revealing the sadness which was written on her face.

"I never wanted to nag, I just wanted to help. But you never seem to get it, don't you?" 

She then turned her back on him and wiping her face with her hands slowly walked to the kitchen leaving him standing alone like an idiot. 

No one noticed the Elder Wand's magic slowly flickering.

*

The dinner was painfully quiet. Without his confirmation Hermione ordered Chinese food and just pushed the box towards him as she sat next to him on the couch in front of the fireplace not even bothering to look at Harry.

Harry's chest stung a little but he was thankful for the silence as he didn't want to get into another argument with his best friend as it seemed that it was all that they did lately. He always felt awful after their fights but he rarely apologized. Hermione would know that he was sorry even before he did so she would always make the first step towards the revoncilliation and he was so grateful for it.

The Elder Wand was on the small, glass-like coffe table in front of them and nobody mentioned anything about it. Harry didn't want to discuss it, but Hermione was begging for it as her eyes couldn't look away.

_Why didn't you get rid of it?_

_Why have you kept it?_

_I told you- I said- I knew-_

Harry was tired. Even he didn't know why he did it. But what was the point of those arguments? It's not like he was going to do anything with it, he didn't even carry it with him. It was just _there_ \- hidden in the drawer of his nightstand which he kept locked at all times. Sometimes he got scared.

Was it possible for him to get addicted to the magic the Wand held? Why would he even want it? He had enough and he didn't want anything from anyone. He didn't want the Wand, he just... Wanted the feeling that were trapped inside of him.

Were they actually trapped or was he keeping them trapped? It was like a never ending cycle of questions which he couldn't answer and he didn't even dare to ask Hermione. 

A _tsk_ was heard when she put the empty box of food on the table right next to the Elder Wand and right before she adjusted herself to lean on Harry's shoulder something caught his eye. 

It almost looked as if there was an odd blue flickering around the wand.

*

Harry's nightmares were something _else_. Sometimes he would dream about the past- about his time at Hogwarts which was suprisingly happy, but then, like some twisted Muggle movie, the dream would take a dark twist and he would end up on the cemetary. He dreamt of it a lot lately. Maybe he was just projecting.

Sometimes it was Cedric and the swirl of green hurling at his chest. Sometimes it was Sirius flying through the air and suddenly getting lost. Sometimes it was his parents and Remus and Tonks - and all those damn _sometimes_ made him think about how many bad memories he actually had and how it didn't lead to anything as he woke up and just stared quietly at the wall in front of him.

 

Maybe it was because of the dark circles beneath his eyes that he approached him for or maybe it was the feeling that they had the same thing relating them - but when George Weasley came to him with a box full of Dreamless Sleep Potion, Harry was shocked. George didn't look fine, but he didn't look bad. It was then that Harry figured that he was probably living on potions to feel alright and, with a heart of a stone, he accepted looking right through the tiny smile on his face. 

He was drowning in sadness.

It was probably the fourth night in a row that he had to drink the potion to sleep as no matter how much times Harry told Hermione to go home, she just wouldn't. It didn't piss him off as much as it should had, but it annoyed him to end that he had to drink something to not reveal his bad dreams to her. Or maybe it was longer? It was, wasn't it? When was the last time he slept withouth them? 

It was one thing that he couldn't remember but it was another that he started losing his memory about it. Maybe it was because he didn't even care to remember.

Harry's mind was peaceful. A motion of energy, a feeling of fluttering wings and his head which always felt lightheaded whenever he'd go to sleep. No colours, no flashback, no figures - a blind mind without anything rushing to him like it's fever.

He never woke up once during the night whenever he used the drink.

"-rry?" When was the last time he actually had a dream? "Harry, Harry? _Harry!_ "

Oh, yes - he was Harry. 

Tired but still confused, he opened his eyes to see a blurred image of Hermione Granger sitting on his bed. 

"Wahay arn't ya sleepin'?" Harry mumbled, still feeling the effects of the potion he had previously drank.

He pushed his hair off of his forehead and it was completely dry - it used to be damp all the time after his dreams - and he felt Hermione putting his glasses on him in a hurry. It made his head hurt.

"Ouch." It made his head hurt. But something was also making his head hurt.

"Harry, wake up!" Her voice confused him. She sounded a bit concerned and Harry couldn't understand why. He felt his eyes dropping again and trying to get Hermione to calm down he mumbled a bit more before he couldn't even understand himself. Something was hitting his head? Or was it just hitting? Or it was in his head? 

"What's _wrong_ with you?!" Hermione yelled again, making Harry flinch. It was so peaceful before. " _Rennervate!_ "

A sudden feel of fresh air hit in in the face making his eyes open in a second his mind still a bit blurred as the potion was still in his body. With the glasses already on he could see Hermione looking at him confused and the little frown on her face was telling him nothing good. Harry frowned.

Well, something was pounding, alright. But what?

"What do you keep in that drawer?" Sounding a bit scared Hermione slowly pointed out towards the nightstand behind him and Harry's heart stopped. The pounding was starting ti get louder. "Ever since you dropped the Silencing Charms I've been hearing something constantly pounding over night. It was quiter before, but you never mentioned anything in the morning, so I never had the need to ask you. But, Harry, what is that?"

And in that moment, Harry James Potter turned towards the pounding nightstand his eyes almost blinded by the light that was coming from the inside of the drawer. 

"Harry?" 

He didn't know if he should tell her what it was seeing as he didn't know why it was doing it. How was he going to explain to her why he never heard the noise before?

"Harry!"

Slowly crawling over his bed, Harry clasped his hand around the door handle, non-verbally cancelling the charms on it. 

"I don't think you should do that-"

Before he had the time to open it, the drawer opened itself and the light surrounded both of them and all of a sudden all they saw was energy swirling around them. It was magic and it was powerful. 

He almost felt like- It seemed like he was flying. He was moving with the shining colors with Hermione who was clutching his hand and their screams were muffled by the magic which was more stronger than both of them. There wasn't anything except energy and Harry could almost _feel_ the Elder Wand. But where was it?

His body was in a mass of a hurricane made from spells and incantations and his head started hurting. 

_What was happening?_

Almost like a response to his question, everything stopped for a moment and he couldn't see anything with his eyes closed but he could sense Hermione's body close to him as it happened. The words that he wanted to say were somehow forbidden to say and all he wanted to say was-

_"Fuck!"_

Harry winced as he fell straight to the floor and Hermione on top of his back as he was any kind of a cushion. His nose hit the floor underneath and Harry almost felt like he had broken it and the only thing that he was grateful was that tjere was no blood. He laid on the floor even when Hermione hurriedly rolled over besides him quietly apologizing for the trauma his back suffered.

"I must say that I quite indeed agree with you." An all too familiar voice said and Harry opened his eyes to the sight of scarely bright violet robes. 

His eyes travelled upwards and the first thing he saw was the Elder Wand pointed towards them and the person behind it was none other that Albus Dumbledore.

Fuck, indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE THOUGHT of himself as a cautious man. Ever since he was young - much, much younger than he was at the moment - and he found out what broken trust and silly mistakes can do, he always made sure he was doing the right thing. Or the better thing, at least. He always made sure to meddle with the people he could trust, to make alliance even if there was no sign of it ever being possible and he even tried to be that little _push_ to people that had to decide which way to go and he always pushed them in the right direction. But the most important thing he did was that he added so many protective spells to Hogwarts which had its own layers of protection that came from ancient magic - he didn't have to do it, but he did it.

When you get burnt, you either learn or you become ashes and Albus Dumbledore was not the one to back down and become nothing more than a dust in the air.

But because of everything he did, Albus Dumbledore knew that nothing could go wrong - at least with Hogwarts. So, how could two pupils, unknown even, apparate inside of his office looking fairly ready for bedtime. And it was noon.

"I must say that I quite indeed agree with you," Albus said, keeping his wand on the duo. The girl who looked as if she just woke up (actually, both of them did) rolled off the young, poor boy and laid on her back as if she had the most painful travel ever. Her curly hair was up in a bun that almost reminded him of Minerva and the expression of annoyance that passed across her face was almost identical to Minerva as well. At his words, the girl in her night clothes opened her eyes in caution and looked right at his face - she suddenly looked as pale as ghost.

The boy was no better. At the sound of Albus' voice, the young _shirtless_ man with his unruly, raven hair and a pair of broken glasses slowly looked up, his sight traveling along Dumbledore's robes (violet was the colour that was in, currently) and onto his face. Then he paled just like the girl beside him.

Albus Dumbledore almost paled as well when he saw the boy.

It _couldn't_ be James Potter, could it? Albus stared at the young man's face seeing obvious signs of the Potter heir - his hair, his lips, his bone structure, his _whole_ face - but suddenly; everything was... wrong. The boy's eyes were green, not brown, his nose was different, his face was equally handsome but softer and he had the most interesting scar on his forehead. It almost looked like - no, it _definitely_ looked like a lightning bolt.

"Professor?" A soft mumble left the James-alike mouth and that was the last thing that disconnects him to the young Potter he knew. His voice was much lighter and much more soothing than James'.

The boy looked as if he was fighting his feelings as Albus could count at least five emotions that came and left in a matter of a second. He was pale and he was afraid and Albus couldn't decipher whether it was because of his presence itself or the wand pointed at his face. Oh, the wand! Albus almost forgot.

He took a few steps away from the children his wand still in place but much lower now.

"I think we should have this conversation a bit differently, shouldn't we?" He asked, hoping them to understand what he meant by it.

The-almost-Potter frowned obviously shaken for some reason that was unknown to the Headmaster and opened his mouth to question his words. Before he could say anything, the girl said something for the first time.

" _Harry._ " She said pointedly, motioning the boy to stand up.

 _Harry._ The boy responded to the name quickly with a turn of his head and even faster to her, almost, demand. So, it was not a fake name, Albus mused. If they were to break in Hogwarts, wouldn't they try to keep their identities hidden?

As soon as the stood up, Albus noticed one more thing that differed the boy to the one he knew. He was a bit shorter and leaner and he had a fair amount of scars on his upper body. His lower half was covered in dark blue pajamas and he was barefoot. Why in the world would he break in the Hogwarts barefoot?

From the corner of his eye, he saw the girl trying to give the boy - Harry - a wand and he almost shook his head in disappointment.

"Expelliarmus."

The two wands flew out of her hands and into his leaving both of them looking shocked, _Harry_ more than the girl.

Dumbledore's eyes which were almost unconsciously glued onto the young man looked over at the girl who looked as if she just got caught in a spider's web.

How peculiar.

 

*

It was a silly mistake and she knew it. She shouldn't have been so slow and predictable, but she didn't know what to do as Harry was obviously in a trance that he looked like he was not ready to get out. He was shocked - she was as well. Who in the _hell_ was this and why was he trying to impersonate Albus Dumbledore?

The thing from earlier had scared her to death. First the sounds, then Harry's condition and now...this. What this _was_ , she couldn't explain. The impersonator opened his mouth and she expected to hear an evil laugh, the voice of any of the remaining Death Eaters, something -

__"How did you break the Hogwarts' wards?" What?_ _

For the first time since falling onto the floor, Hermione Granger looked ready to kill herself. She acted as if she was never in a war, two mistakes two fast and she would've already been dead and twice. As it was an advice, she looked around her finding herself right in the middle of the Headmaster's office. Everything looked the same as the last time she had been there, almost a week ago, and nothing has changed. But why there was a dead man in front of her then?

What?" Harry said confused, obviously having the same realization as she did moments ago. She watched his eyes roaring through the room and she wasn't the only one. The Dumbledore was looking curiously at their faces trying to read them and it took her whole strength to raise the walls around her mind.

"How and why, I must add, did you break the wards of Hogwarts?" The impersonator said raising the wand in his hands and Hermione felt her eyes widen. _Oh, no._

"Harry," She slowly nudged him with her elbow, showing him towards the wand with her eyes. He saw it and his eyes widened almost ridiculously - the impersonator held the Elder's wand.

"How did you take it?" Harry asked, his voice tinged with anger. "The wand?"

The man in front of them raised his eyebrows.

"Well, I had it almost my whole life as it is my wand, of course." He answered politely but carefully as he was watching them for reactions.

There was no sign of any tricks and that made it worse. If he grinned or looked at them funny, Hermione would know what to do. But now they were stuck standing defenseless with their dead professor pointing a wand at them and she didn't have an idea of what to do. The man looked seriously... serious.

It was no surprise that Harry was shocked.

"No, for real, what did you do?" Harry asked once again, this time a bit more bitter. He then decided on a different approach. "Who _are_ you even?"

The man didn't look impressed - he looked as if was thinking more or less. His brows were furrowed and they had a little bit of tint in them in between the white hair. Hermione was confused. She never noticed that, was that always there?

"I already told you, this is my wand... _for real_." Hermione would have almost laughed if that same wand wasn't pointed at them. "And my name is Albus Dumbledore, what are yours?"

And then it hit her - _what was even happening?_

Hermione Granger was pretty sure that both of them were pretty much known to the whole wizarding world - at least in England- as the magazines couldn't stop writing and gluing their names to the titles. Even if they weren't in the news _every single_ day, the Death Eaters would surely know who they were especially if they planned to kidnap them just like this man did now. Even if he wasn't a Death Eater, Albus Dumbledore would have definitely known who they were.

Something had just twisted in her stomach - something was very wrong here. Not answering the question but keeping quiet just as Harry was, Hermione once again looked around the office, searching for anything to be out of the ordinary. Everything was in its place, everything was fine except -

There was no portrait of Albus Dumbledore on the wall. The sun was shining through the window on the side of the work desk. Dumbledore looked a bit younger than ever and last - there was no sign of visible destruction inside of outside- and Hermione was sure that no less than a week she was helping with the renovation of Hogwarts, more specifically, this _same_ office.

Then an idea popped inside of her head and she felt like she'd throw up.

*

Albus had asked their names, yet he didn't get any answers. Harry looked on the verge of attacking him and running away, while the girl was once again looking around. It was the most interesting thing ever - why did they even ask about the Wand? Albus felt his hand tighten around it. Was it possible that they knew what it was? If so, how?

"Why would you need to know our names?" _Harry_ asked and Albus noticed the boy crossing the arms over his bare chest looking like he wanted to hide it.

Transforming a pillow that was put on one of the chairs in the office into a pullover, Albus summoned it and he handed it to the boy which, if it was possible, frowned even more.

"Thank you...?" Harry said, pulling the shirt on and Albus smiled a bit. They didn't look that dangerous, but they still knew about the wand.

"Your names, please?"

"Hermione Granger," The girl said quickly, her eyes calculating something. She straightened herself once again opening her mouth when the boy next to her glared at her. Hermione ignored him. "He's Harry. Harry Potter."

And something clicked in Albus' mind.

 

*

Was she _fucking_ thinking straight? Harry couldn't believe it. How could she do that, it could be a trap!

"Potter?" The man in front of them said and Harry felt like he could murder someone. He didn't need to know their names. Anger started mixing with the feeling of his body demanding him to sleep and it was almost like he couldn't focus anymore. He was mad but not willing to do anything and Hermione - what was up with her? Shouldn't she do something? What was going on? It looked like the man's eyes started twinkling when he noticed Harry's discomfort. Harry straightened up.

" _Yes_." The Potter answered trying to look more cautious while his eyes were dropping in sleep.

"Any connection to Fleamont and Euphemia Potter?"

"Uh, what?" Truly, _what_? Harry didn't know what to think. He was pretty sure that those were his grandparents, but why did that make any difference? Also, if the man was trying to be Albus - _the_ Albus - Dumbledore, shouldn't he already know that? The man shrugged as if he was not pointing a wand at their faces.

"The Potter family? They have a son, James." Harry felt his head hurt. Dumbledore looked like he was truly curious and Harry didn't understand a thing. What was going on? Why was this man acting like he didn't know who we were? How did they get there in the first place? A flashback of the Elder Wand which was now in Dumbledore's hands showed up in front of his eyes.

"They _have_ a son?" Hermione asked with a fearful look on her face. Harry was confused.

"Well, of course. He will attend his seventh year at Hogwarts in September. So, Fleamont and Euphemia?" Dumbledore said and Harry's heart stopped. Did this man understand what he was saying? How could James - his dad - his _dead_ father - attend the school? Why was this happening - _how_?

Harry felt his face becoming white with every thought.  Was James Potter just starting his seventh year? Now? _Albus - Fleamont - James -_

Harry swallowed his confusion, deciding to answer the question.

"They're my grandparents." He said slowly, watching the man's face becoming blank - he lowered his wand finally. Or Harry's wand. Albus Dumbledore moved away from them and sat in his chair behind his desk, looking at them with curious eyes. There were no laughing lines around his mouth. He was completely serious.

"How about we all sit down and have a talk, shall we?"

Before he could say anything, Hermione took him by the elbow and he saw her nodding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I broke this chapter into two parts as I felt this was the better way to finish it and update faster. I am so shocked at the mass of kudos and one wonderful comment I got yesterday (in only a day!). Thank you so much for everything and I really hope I ain't going to eff this up. 
> 
> I am really excited to get to the part where Harry and Hermione met Harry's grandparents and the Marauders, but I still have some things to go through before that happens. I hope it will either happen in the next one (I seriously doubt) or the one after that. Gaaah, I'm really happy! :)
> 
> Thanks to all of you lovelies for reading, you made my whole day. I hope you like this update. ♥

**Author's Note:**

> Do me a favour and please leave some feedback as I, as a author, am quite desperate for it.
> 
> Thanks again, my lovelies.


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